Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (5-year aged ligero matured in whiskey-rum white oak casks)
Size: 6 x 54 Toro Box Pressed
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $18.95
Date Released: November 2025
Quantity Released: 1500 boxes of 10
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.
My cigars received 2 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
This is a well-built cigar. Not a single soft spot, ding, or lack of heft. The tawny reddish color zings with pretty. And seams are nearly invisible.
I shove my enormous nasally proboscis against the cigar’s underbelly and find aromas of sweet spirits and ripe strawberries. I also find notes of mild barnyard, hot cocoa with marshmallows, tungsten style jerky, malted milk, floral, spicy red peppers, and Indian curry spices.
The cap is the perfect foil for my PerfecPunch. It lands its first punch and with only 4oz of pressure and the cap gives up its ghost. I suck like the wild man of Borneo to find cold draw flavors. While conjuring up that word-fest, the cigar loses the battle of gravity and flies from my mouth, lands at my feet (which are guarding my nutsack), and I step on the cigar crushing it into the next life. Luckily, I have another.
The cold draw is ungodly. Beautiful notes of the advertised aged rum and whisky…so sweet and fulfilling that I don’t want to light the cigar. I can be happy dangling this participle all day without remorse that my stupidity is life changing. There is mocha java, red peppers, malty earthiness, baking spices, and wonderful cedar.
16,000 words later, I decide to light the beast. BTW- I found you a deal on these cigars…when I say ‘you’, I mean me…from Cigars International that knocks $4 off the MAP price of $18.00. I sneaked a few on the way to this review, but I can tell just from the cold draw, that naked home detention has been a service to this blend.
And bammerooni, the blend starts with great promise. Often, booze cask aged leaves don’t translate well to the actual smoking experience. Either the influence is so mild that you don’t notice, which can be a good thing. Or it can be off putting as it becomes treacly and disharmonious. From the start, the blender seems to have struck goldilocks right in they/them/their jutting chin.
It has a balance of 60/40 where the sweetness of the infused leaves take control. I’m reminded of sweet berries, frozen banana pops, coconut meringue, and chocolate mousse. On the savory side is nutmeg, creamy cinnamon, geraniums, orange zest, and aged oak.
The cigar plumps like it’s been given a double dose of Viagra and Blue Chew. Construction is on point and the char line is regimental. This will be close to a two-hour cigar experience.
As is always the case with doubt and remorse, I wish I hadn’t smoked so many cigars on the way to this critique. The difference is mind boggling. Out of boredom from typing the words in my head, I check to see how others thought of this cigar. Turns out, everyone gives the blend a big thumbs up. Even HW laid out a 92. Yikes.
And yes, nice smoke output as I stare at the ceiling without blinking, looking thoughtful and introspective, mumbling to myself in Esperanto, and feeling a cold wind on my nether region as I fumble with my fly out of view of the camera.
At the same time, I’m drawn and repelled by cable news as the war in Iran continues. The U.S. of A. hasn’t engaged in a righteous war since the 1940’s. Why would aliens from outer space be interested in humanity except to sit back and laugh while enjoying their Neutronium buttered popcorn? Politics has always been corrupt but I don’t remember seeing anything like this in my 76 years. It saddens me greatly. I have doubled down on my daily cigar consumption to numb the senses.
The first inch was a stunner. Strength is a bold medium. As inch two begins, creamy chocolate leaves its footprint on my palate. And guys…learn to fucking spell that word correctly. This is a huge pet peeve. The spicy pepper goes from red to black in a delicious, cracked version. Floral notes hit the airwaves as well as the palette.
If the cigar continues on this path, I will sigh heavily and buy another 10-count box. Only this time, I will not touch them for a few months and just let them simmer.
I skip ahead. In public, I dawdle. The first half was so easy going that I was able to take two naps, one colonic, several diaper changes, and smoke three inches of dead bush.
Great fucking cigar. The balance of sweet v. savory has the same motility factor as my pet ferret, Pete. He only allows friends to call him that…everyone else must refer to him as W.C. or Buster.
The chocolate is very different than most blends that claim this flavor. It has a pastry-ness to it much like those crispy delicacies from Europe. While living in London, it was a dream to have easy access to Euro chocolate. Meanwhile, Stew Copeland lived on Snickers bars. He became used to everyone laughing at him.
OK, so how is the sophistication level? It has a serious depth. It has transitional qualities that keep it interesting. It has a wonderful richness that comes from the inherent earthiness from nature’s leaves. And it has real complexity. I hate my redundancy, but it is what it is. Or was or it wasn’t.
The first half was the tease. The second half is real dope as in addictive drugs. I’m tingling all over. My epinephrine pen is not required.
You’d expect this cigar to be a flavor bomb. You would be wrong. Flavors settle in, or more aptly, are pushed down into submission so that the parts are no longer the main attraction. The whole creates a wide berth and breadth. Stunning.
This is my morning cigar. And yet, I feel no gonad gargling effects of its medium/full attack. The blend is easy going and only moves the needle in the most subtle fashion. This is truly a sophisticated cigar blend. Fuck me twice, I bought another box in between the last two paragraphs. Even at $14 per cigar, it ain’t cheap but I don’t mind spending the dough if I get my money’s worth. JdN could have easily sold this cigar in the $20+ range.
I hover at the last two inches. No harshness, no burning sensation when I pee, and no lessening of the enjoyment.
This is a must have. And you’ll see it on the very last top 25 list I will produce.
You can purchase the JdN from non-sponsor Cigars International. I have two promo codes: CIAFFCJ20 and SMILEY20 that both give you 20% off plus free shipping.
RATING: 97
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